Undergarment



R. E. HEYN UNDERGARMENT Dec. 18, 1934.

Filed July 2'7, 1934 Patented Dec. 18, 1934 Robert E. Heyn, Bronxville, N. Y., ascig'nor to The B. V. D. Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application July 27, 1934, Serial No. 737,193

4 Claims. (01. 2-226) This invention relates to nether garments, such as underdrawers, shorts, trunks, etc., and is concerned more particularly with a novel garment of the kind referred to which is so constructed as to 6 afford great comfort and freedom of movement to movements of the wearer are likely to cause it to bind on occasion, and if the panel is cut wide enough to avoid this condition and to give the necessary fulness in the seat, the panel may become wrinkled lengthwise and bunch together in the ordinary use of the garment.

The new garment is so constructed as to avoid these disadvantages of the former garments, and in it, the panel is made of fabric which is yielding both lengthwise and transversely, and the desired fulness in the seat is obtained without making the panel objectionablywide. The desired yielding of the panel is obtained by cutting the panel material on the bias, so that the threads run diagonally of the length of the panel, and may be increased by using for the panel a fabric of substantially even weave, that is, one having an equal or approximately equal number of warp and weft or filling threads, The panel is united along its top edge to the waistband as is customary, but instead ofthe usual straight top edge, the panel of the new garment has an upwardly curving or convex edge and this arcuate edge is secured to the lower edge of the waistband by stitching running along the curve. When the garment is in use and the waistband is stretched fairly taut, its lower edge becomes straight, and the material along the top of the panel below the straight lower edge of the waistband is forced downwardly into the seat portion of the panel, giving increased fullness.

Another advantageous feature of the new garment is that, because of the extra material in the panel provided by making its top edge curving and the yield of the panel provided by using biascut fabric, any crosswise strain on the panel does not result in the waistband being pulled down in the back to any substantial extent. With an ordinary panel garment, any transverse strain on the panel causes the waistband to sag in the back, and this makes the garment uncomfortable, since as the waistband is drawn down below the waistline, it becomes tighter about the body. In the new garment, this unpleasant effect is wholly avoided.

The new garment may be made with the usual ties at the sides but, if desired, the ties may be omitted and one or more elastic inserts placed in the waistband. Preferably, one such insert will be inserted directly above the top of the panel, the insert being made of material which stretches both lengthwise and transversely. With such an insert, the garment is even more yielding in the region occupied by the panel and the comfort of the wearer is increased. 1

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a rear view of the new garment having side ties;

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the panel drawn down slightly to make the waistband straight in the back;

Figure 3 is a partial rear view of a garment having an elastic insert in the waistband, and

Figure 4 is an enlarged face view of a portion of the material in the panel showing the weave.

The new garment includes leg sections 10 of conventional construction, a waistband 11 and a panel 12 which lies between the leg sections in the back and is connected to the leg sections at the crotch inseam 13 and also along the side edges of the panel, as indicated at 14. The top edge 15 of the panel is upwardly curving or convex and it is secured to the lower edge of the waistband by stitching which curves to correspond with the curve of the top edge of the panel. The waistband is also secured to the top edges of the leg sections by stitching in the usual way. The waistband may be of uniform width directly above the panel at ,16 or may have a curved lower edge, but for best results, the top of the panel should be connected to the waistband in such manner that some of the material at the top of the panel is forced downwardly so as to add to the fullness of the seat of the garment.

When the waistband is of uniform width as shown in the drawing and has a straight lower edge, the connection of the top of the panel to the waistband may cause the latter to curve up slightly above the panel when the garment is not in use. When the garment is being worn and the waistband is under tension, it tends to straighten out as shown in Figure 2. This permits the extra material in the curve of the panel to become available to increase the fullness of the seat.

The panel is made of bias cut material and the threads, 'as indicated in Figure 1, run diagonally to the length of the panel. Preferably the panel is made of a material having an equal or approximately equal number of warp and filling threads, as indicated in Fig. 4. The material used may, for example, be of 80 x 80 weave, or 96 x 92, or some other weave which is substantially even. Such weave material when out on the bias yields to a substantial degree when subjected either to lengthwise or crosswise strain and the use of such bias cut material together with theprovision of the curved top edge of the panel secured in the waistband in the manner described makes the garment highly yielding in the region of the panel and also gives the desired'fullness in the seat necessary to the comfort of the wearer.

.The garment shown in Figures 1 and 2 is provided with conventional side ties 1'7 but these may be omitted and the adjustment of the waistband to the body of the wearer provided by the use of one or more elastic inserts in the waistband. Preferably one such insert 18 will be employed and placed in the waistband directly above the top of the panel. When such an insert is used, the top edge of the panel will be gathered as it is stitched to the insert so that the attachment of the panel to the insert does not interfere with the yield of the insert. .I prefer to use for the insert a material which stretches both lengthwise and transversely, one form of the material commercially known as lastex" being satisfactory for the purpose.

What I claim:

1. A nether garment which comprises leg sections, a waistband connected to the top edges of said leg sections, and a panel lying between said leg sections at the back of the garment and secured thereto along its lateral edges, said panel being formed of fabric cut on the bias with the threads extending diagonally to the vertical and having an upwardly convex top edge secured to the lower edge of the waistband.

2. A nether garment which comprises leg sections, a waistband connected to the top edges of said leg sections, and a panel lying between said leg sections at the back of the garment and secured thereto along its lateral edges, said panel having its top edge upwardly convex and the panel being formed of a woven fabric having substantially equal numbers of warp and filling threads and cut on the bias with the threads extending diagonally to the vertical.

3. A nether garment which comprises leg sections, a panel lying between said leg sections at the back of the garmentv and secured thereto along its lateral edges, said panel being formed of fabric cut on the bias with the threads extending diagonally to the vertical and having an upwardly convex top edge, and a waistband secured to the top edges of the leg sections and the panel, said waistband being of uniform width throughout the portion secured to the panel..

4. A nether garment which comprises leg sections, a panel lying between said leg sections at the back of the garment and secured thereto along its lateral edges, said panel being formed .of-fabric cut on the bias with the threads extending diagonally to the vertical and having an upwardly convex top edge, and a waistband securedto the top edges of the leg sections, said waistband having a section of elastic material at the back secur to the top edge of the panel.

ROBERT E. HEYN. 

